SAT Question of the Day

Although Alex won't be taking the SAT or the ACT for at least two more years, we have begun to practice. It is important for him to become accustomed to the test format. Most of the Math questions cover topics which he hasn't seen yet. We usually just skip these. But, We use language questions as vocabulary builders and to review grammar. You can sign-up to have these questions sent to you via email at the following website:

http://www.collegeboard.com/

They provide many other valuable services for the college bound and their parents as well.

A Little Help From My Friends

Yesterday, Alex was doing an experiment on erosion for his general science class.

Julie decided that he needed her help.

She is an expert at digging holes in the yard, but I don't think that she was really helpful this time.

Praise for the Makers of Wii

Alex has entered some kind of growth spurt. He has a voracious appetite. Unfortunately, he is growing out more than he is growing up. We both were chastised at his last visit to the pediatrician. At 72 kilos (158 lbs) he is now officially obese. We made a plan and we are working on reducing his weight through diet (no more soda or junk food as well as portion control) and exercise. One of the things that he loves is his Wii Fit. Not only are the games fun, but he really likes how it keeps track of everything. I am just surprised at how much a computer game can make him sweat.

Hot or Cold?

Alex did an experiment on how temperature affects the speed at which molecules move. First, he filled one glass with cold water and one glass with boiling water. Then, he added food coloring to see in which glass the food coloring blended most quickly.

I think that he had a little too much fun.

Building Big

Alex is studying construction this year. We are using the PBS curriculum, Building Big. His first project was to make the tallest tower that he could out of 2 sheets of newspaper.

It wasn't as easy as it seemed.

Nevertheless, a little problem solving with some perserverence got the job done.

Nature Scavenger Hunt

Alex and I went on a hike today for his Zoology class. We had a great time and ran across several items from the Nature Scavenger Hunt list. Below are a few highlights.

We found a honey bee,

a grasshopper,

an ant colony,

and bird tracks on the ground.

Back to School

Alex has wanted to learn to play the guitar since last year. Unfortunately, it was very difficult to find a teacher in our little town. Finally, we found one and he is on his way.

Harvest Time

Alex's carrots have been growing well and he decided to pull some up today. It looks like we will be having salad tonight!

Jack, however, decided not to wait for the salad.

Butterflies, Bats & Me

Alex is studying pollinators in his botany class. He took a cotton swab and put it in the anthers of a flower covering it with pollen. He then rubbed it on the stigma of another flower. He is going to watch carefully over the next few weeks to see if a fruit begins to grow on the flower that he pollinated.

Math Wizards Club

Alex has joined the Math Wizards Club. Each day a new math challenge is posted. Participants receive tickets for correct answers. Each week there is a winner. Plus, there is a monthly grand prize winner. Alex loves math, but I think he is really motivated by the prizes. If anyone is interested the link is below:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mathwizards4to8/

Sunflowers

Alex's plants continue to grow in his garden. The sunflowers are particularly beautiful.

The petunias and the carrots which can be seen in the background are also doing very well.

Flower Model

Alex is studying flowers in his botany class. He made a clay model of a flower to illustrate its various parts.

First he made a stem and a leaf.

Then, he made the calyx and the corolla (all the petals together).

Finally, he added the carpel and the stamens.

I was very proud of Alex's work on this project because he did it without any help whatsoever.

Good job Alex!

Geologic Time

As part of Alex's history class, he has been studying geologic time. First, he did a project which helped him to understand time sequencing as well as the difference between numerical time and relative time. Alex examined several events in his life and placed them in order from earliest to latest. This gave him his sequential timeline. Then, he assigned a numerical date to each event giving him a numerical timeline. Finally, he divided the events of his life into time intervals, "Preschoolian" and "Schoolian" giving him his relative timeline. He really enjoyed seeing his life events placed into such grand categories and I enjoyed the trip down memory lane.

Alex also studied the concept of a billion. He calculated that if he saved $100 per day, it would take him 27,397 years and 95 days to save a billion dollars. This was somewhat discouraging for him. He also caculated that if he wanted to count to a billion, it would take him 95.12 years given that he was able to say a number every 3 seconds. He decided that he had no desire to do so.

Crayon Etching

Alex just finished a project in his art class that he really enjoyed. The goal was to learn how texture adds detail and interest to a work. He first used crayons to color a large rectangle. Then, he covered the colored area with black paint. Finally, he used different "tools" to etch his drawing. I think he did a fantastic job!

Butter Lava

Alex is studying Venus in his astronomy class. Because Venus has many active volcanoes he "made" some lava to illustrate how rocks go from a solid to a liquid state and then back again to a solid state.

Farmer Boy

Alex had a problem; his seedlings were outgrowing the lighthut. Luckily, it is spring here and he was able to plant them outside. He began by picking a spot for his garden and preparing the soil. This was no easy task. The man who helps us with the yard lent a helping hand.

Alex, then planned out his garden.

He prepared the seedlings for planting.

He then put them into the soil.

Finally, Alex put up some chicken wire to keep out pests.

We are hoping for a lot of sunshine.

Lines

I have virtually no artistic ability, but Alex likes art. So, we are learning together. These photos represent his first three lessons.

We have celery!

The hold out has caved-in. The celery seeds have begun to grow. Alex is very proud of his light hut project. All we have to do now is find a place in the yard to plant the seedlings.